Chapter 13: Reasoning

"It is a grave injustice to a child or adult to insist that they stop crying. One can comfort a person who is crying, which enables him to relax and makes further crying unnecessary; but to humiliate a crying child is to increase his pain and augment his rigidity. We stop other people from crying because we cannot stand the sounds and movements of their bodies. It threatens our own rigidity. It induces similar feelings in ourselves which we dare not express, and it evokes a resonance in our own bodies which we resist." —Alexander Lowen, The Voice of the Body

"The pain of severe depression is quite unimaginable to those who have not suffered it, and it kills in many instances because its anguish can no longer be borne. The prevention of many suicides will continue to be hindered until there is a general awareness of the nature of this pain." —William Styron, Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness

"Pessimism is not a prescription to escape the hornets' nests of our anguish but a wrong tool to construct reliable steppingstones for the future. (''Happiness is blowing in the wind'')" —Erik Pevernagie

***

"You're joking, right, Ergas?"

Shockingly, Xenia could not believe that Ergas would just own up to the crimes being thrown at him. His voice would immediately disappear and be washed away by the loud clamorous voices of the Balmackians.

"Ergas! Are you being forced to admit to the crime?! Tell us!"

None of them could do anything for their friend but feel sorrow and betrayed upon hearing Ergas' heartbreaking words.

"Why won't you understand it, Xenia? Ergas already admitted that he did it!"

Doro and Grenoble, although the two of them looked as though they were hurt the most by Ergas' crimes, two of them seemed to be joyful and were actually pleased in Xenia's eyes.

"Even I am in shock about Ergas' confession! Oh, how cruel life could be! But... We have to listen to the mass. They are screaming for Ergas' death. It is the only way to satiate their desire for justice!"

"No, no! You bastards forced him to confess to the crimes he did not do!"

Enraged, Xenia clenched his fist upon trying to use his ability but then he realized that his ability from his old self was not there anymore. Thus, cursing under his breath for being of no help to Ergas.

"What evidence do you have to say that we forced Ergas to own up to the series of murders? You asked for proof, and Ergas gave it to you! Now— we are asking for evidence, so I'm hoping you would show us what we need if you want us to believe you!"

Grenoble was just too much for Xenia. The chief's effect on the townspeople was overwhelming, and there was no way they would side with a member of the most hated family on the island.

"Aren't those bruises on Ergas' body enough proof?! In order to force Ergas, you and your men beat him up until he agreed on confessing to the crimes you were pressuring upon him!"

"I won't deny the fact that we had to resort to physical violence! But... But we did it because Ergas acted up and managed to stab one of my men! He was lucky to survive the attack. We just did what we had to do!"

Grenoble and Doro completely had the townspeople dancing under their palm, being manipulated, and gaslighted into believing everything they say.

"People of Balmack! How long are we going to let this child interrupt our main event?! Take him away and beat him up if you may for sullying the town with his presence!"

Every Balmackian's attention was shifted to Xenia right after Doro instigated them. The inciting of the rageful townspeople showed a great deal of danger to Xenia, thus prompting him to make his move.

"Fucking manipulative bastard! I'll get killed if they ever catch me!"

Before someone could grab a hold of him, Xenia agilely took off, avoiding their grips and abusive grasps.

"I got him!"

"Ack!"

"He slipped out!"

Worried, his friends tried wriggling their way out of their parents' hands but it was to no avail. They eagerly wanted to run after Xenia. However, their parents would not let them go.

"I'm doing this for your sake! Xenia pushed the townspeople's patience to their limits! All we can do is hope he does not get caught!"

"Ahhhh!"

Arlan screamed in frustration. Franzia and Zeb closed their eyes as Grenoble and Doro began the public execution. While the triplets were being taken back home, Xenia had to exert and show some of his defensive mechanisms against his pursuers.

"Does that monster learn some kinda martial arts?! We can't even catch him!"

"I knew that kid was hiding something! You can never be safe around those monsters!"

Grenoble tightened the rope around Ergas' neck while Doro tried to calm everyone down and prevent them from getting on the platform.

"We can't have too many people here, or this stage might collapse! The execution is about to start, so everyone just stays still!"

All of a sudden as Ergas hopelessly accepted his fate, he gently closed his eyes to not see the expression on everyone's faces. It hurts him how vile and wicked humans can be, and he could not bear the fact that he won't see his friends grow up with him around.

"I'm sorry, everyone. This island is doomed to perish, after all. Might as well go first before that happens."

Ergas started whistling and humming to the deafening voices of the townspeople. As he did so, everything went silent. All that he could hear was his own thoughts and the sounds of his humming.

Under his breath, he was singing his mother's favorite song and while also humming his father's part whenever they would be alone on their front porch, lovingly staring at the calm waves of the sea.

Everything was so peaceful with his eyes closed. There was no violence, hatred, or derogative words but peace. He attained peace of mind before the platform he was standing on opened, resulting in him having no place to stand.

How fleeting his peace felt after he began choking, feeling the roughly tied rope around his neck tightening and preventing air from coming and going out of his airways.

His heart did not wish to fight death, but his mind was subconsciously telling him to free himself from death's suffocating hands around his neck.

"Ahh... Beautiful! Isn't dying beautiful, Doro?"

The latter stared blankly at Ergas' dying state. He does not feel anything, no sympathy towards the kid nor empathy was shown in his eyes. It was pure darkness he could see with a tiny sparkle of light finally snapping off as the life from Ergas faded away.

"Only by dying will everyone be free from this world's cruelty... May Ergas' soul find peace in the afterlife."

Ergas was dead. Franzia's and Zeb's driving force instantly dissipated along with their strength, thus collapsing on the ground as their puffy eyes streamed buckets of tears with their heart broken.

Xenia and the triplets did not see the execution, but they could hear the cheerful exclamation of the townspeople raging on the whole island.

"Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Xenia screamed at the top of his lungs as his energy left his body, thus completely falling to his knees.

"Tears... They are coming out of my... eyes? I see... Xenia and I share the same feelings —the same pain."

As he was weeping carelessly in the middle of the woods, someone's warm and gentle touch slightly eased up the heartache he was feeling.

"There, there, son. Let it all out. Cry your eyes out. Never be ashamed of weeping about your loss. It does not make you weak. It makes you a real person."

Volcom stayed by Xenia's side. After that, he did not say anything anymore. He just listened to his son cry as he caress his back to let him know he would always be there whenever he is feeling down.

***

Alone in her private bedstraw, basking in numerous candle lights, the Lakambini with her mask on opened her eyes when she was done with her daily mental meditation. It was a common practice for the Sulten tribe to enhance their psychological health and always have peace of mind.

"Just like what the prophecy says... Oh, poor soul. May Ergas rest in peace."

She got up and took off her clothes, bathing her skin in the yellow candle lights. Her skin was so tender, and her body was so slender. Lastly, she removed the mask and got in her craftily made bathtub, which was filled with aromatic flowers that gave off a pleasing scent to her senses.

"Chastity is the emblem of purity. One shan't defile themselves for earthly desires."

~